Her Broken Past
by PokemonFan411
Summary: When Dawn's bad memories from home still come as a burden to her heart, will Ash be able to help her heal and take her pain away? Precious Pearlshipping story. Don't like Pearlshipping? Then don't read it. Please review! :)


Her Broken Past

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE SONG "NOT ALONE" BY RED! I DO NOT OWN POKEMON!

Ash, Dawn, and Brock were travelling through the Sinnoh region. It was late in the afternoon,

And they were tired and knew they needed rest. "I think it's time we stop here for the day, guys," Brock said as he put his backpack down. The three of them were standing in the open area of a

Forest. The sun was already setting on the horizon, turning into beautiful shades of orange

With some pink mixed in. Ash and Dawn nodded. "Yeah, you're right," Ash said, yawning.

"I'm too tired to keep on walking, anyways," Dawn said. Secretly, that wasn't the only thing

That was making her tired. They began unpacking their stuff and setting up their tents.

Afterwards, Brock cooked dinner for the three of them. They ate in silence, neither one of

Them saying a word. By the time they were finished eating, it was dark outside, and Brock

Kept a fire going to keep them warm. He then went to sleep in his tent. Their pokemon were

Already fast asleep. Ash was getting ready for bed himself, while Dawn had other things in

Mind. In fact, she had a LOT on her mind…

Dawn went into her tent, searching through some of her things before grabbing her guitar

Case. She came out and looked around to see if Ash was where he could see her. "Good,

He's not here!" she thought to herself. She walked off a little ways from the campsite and

Sat down under a tree. She looked up to see the moon and all the beautiful stars shining

Down from the sky. She opened the guitar case she had carried with her and pulled out her

Acoustic guitar. Singing and playing the guitar was something she always did in secret no

Matter what. No one else knew her musical talents. And on a beautiful night like this, how

Could she not find the inspiration to sing? But what really brought her here were the burdens

She had been carrying that no one else knew about. She needed a way to let go, and be at

Peace with herself. The awful memories of her broken past were haunting her. Tears came

To her eyes as the nightmare that still stayed with her flooded her mind.

"_Dad, please stop!" Dawn screamed as she watched her father beat her mother. Once again,_

_He had come home from a local bar, drunk. She could smell alcohol on his breath when he_

_Walked in the door. Angry because his dinner wasn't ready, he came in the kitchen, his_

_Face red as blood, for anger was finally getting the best of him. Again. He grabbed Johanna,_

_Dawn's mom, and threw her on the floor after throwing a hard hit to her face. Her father was_

_Too strong for her mother to fight back, and her life was taken just as soon as he laid his _

_Violent, abusive hands on her. Dawn remembered trying to pull her dad away from her mother,_

_How she tried to stand between them in order to protect her mom. If she had to, she would_

_Have died so her mom could live. But no, it didn't happen that way. Her mother died that_

_Night. And times after that, she still lived in the same house, under the same roof with her_

_Father. She would have left, but she had no way of escaping .He tortured her, beat her_

_And nearly starved her to death. If it hadn't been for the neighbors calling the police, Dawn_

_Wouldn't have lived through the suffering. Just minutes before police actually got to her house,_

_The sound of a gun could be heard. Her father had committed suicide. Dawn broke down into_

_A million pieces. She had witnessed one of the most tragic things happen to her family. First,_

_She had seen her father kill her mother, and now he had killed himself. He had put a gun to his_

_Head and then took his life. It was devastating. When the police pulled up in Dawn's driveway,_

_The cops quickly got out of the car and ran into the house, finding Dawn in a emotional, _

_Overwhelmed state as she lied on the floor. One of the cops gently rubbed her back, then_

_Picked her up bridal style and carried her to the car. "It's all over, now, sweetheart, it will all_

_Be alright," she told her. She was then placed in the backseat of the cop car and they drove_

_Away. She was later placed in foster care with a young married couple, who had no children._

_And when Dawn was old enough to be on her own, she left to become a Pokemon Coordinator,_

_Taking her faith in Jesus Christ with her._

And that was how Dawn got to where she is now. She was crying, tears streaming down

Her face. She knew that if God hadn't been by her side, she wouldn't be living right now.

She began strumming the guitar strings as she opened her mouth to sing.

_Slowly fading away,_

_You're lost and so afraid._

_Where is the hope_

_In a world so cold?_

_Looking for a distant light_

_Someone who can save a life_

_Living in fear_

_That no one will hear_

_Your cry._

Little did Dawn know that Ash had heard her crying from the campsite. He just knew her too

Well. When he found Dawn, she was singing a beautiful song, and her voice left him in a trance.

He stood behind another tree and listened to Dawn's voice fill the air.

_Can you save me now?_

_I am with you._

_I will carry you through it all._

_I won't leave you._

_I will catch you._

_When you feel like letting go._

_Cause you're not,_

_You're not alone._

Dawn thought about the pain she had suffered so long ago, and the nightmare of it that

Still chased her like a hungry animal. She knew that God had carried her through it all.

_Your heart is full of broken dreams._

_Just a fading memory_

_Everything's gone_

_But the pain carries on_

_Lost in the rain again_

_When will it ever end?_

_The arms of relief_

_Seem so out of reach_

_But I'm_

_I am here._

It was true that Dawn was heartbroken and lonely. Sure, she had Ash and Brock as her

Friends and they kept her company, but it didn't feel like it was enough. And they didn't

Know what she was going through. She knew that they wouldn't understand, at least that's

What she thought about Ash.

_I am with you_

_I will carry you_

_Through it all_

_I won't leave you_

_I will catch you_

_When you feel like_

_Letting go_

_Cause you're not_

_You're not alone._

Ash was touched by Dawn's voice and the song she sang. He had never heard anything

Like it before, and he was so shocked to hear that his best friend could sing so well. Yet,

His heart was broken when he heard her cry. It was the first time he had ever known Dawn

To be upset about anything, and she had never come to terms with saying she was

Stressed out or bothered by something. But he knew one thing for sure: He would be there

For her.

_And I will be your hope_

_When you feel like it's over_

_And I will pick you up_

_When your whole world shatters_

_And when you're finally in my arms_

_You'll look up and see that_

_Love has a face_

_I am with you_

_I will carry you through it all_

_I won't leave you_

_I will catch you_

_When you feel like_

_Letting go_

_Cause you're not_

_You're not alone._

_And I will be your hope_

_(not alone)_

_And I will pick you up_

_And I will be your hope_

_And I will be your hope_

Tears fell on Dawn's guitar as she sang the last of the song.

_Slowly fading away_

_You're lost and so afraid_

_Where is the hope_

_In a world so cold?_

She set her guitar down as she buried her face in her hands.

"You have a beautiful voice, Dawn," Ash said as he stepped out from his hiding place.

Dawn jumped as she heard Ash's voice. She turned to see Ash standing there, smiling

At her. She was stunned. Dawn hadn't planned on anyone witnessing her having one of

Her emotional meltdowns. Nonetheless, she didn't expect Ash to pop up and say her voice

Was beautiful. "A-Ash!" Dawn shrieked. "I-I-I didn't know you was here! How did you know

Where I was?" Ash continued to grin. "I was getting ready for bed, then I heard you crying

And I came running. Then, I saw you here with a guitar and you were singing. Dawn, your

Voice is amazing," Ash said as he slowly walked towards her. "But, why were you crying?"

He asked her. "It breaks my heart to see you cry. You can tell me anything, Dawn. Don't be

Afraid," he said, stepping a little closer to her. Dawn suddenly panicked. "I'm sorry!" she

Said. "No one was supposed to see me like this!" she turned to run, but Ash quickly grabbed

Her hand and gently pulled her to him. "Dawn, don't run from me, come to me," he said,

Pulling her into his arms. He held her close to him, Dawn finding her head resting on his

Shoulder. "Now, tell me what's wrong," he said as he stroked her hair. Dawn's emotions

Took over again as she started telling him the story of how her father drank, and how he

Always came home angry, and he would become violent. And the tragic ending to it all

When he brutally beat her mother to death. All the times afterwards when there was no

Escaping the pain of her father's violence, how he beat her and starved her. Ash's heart

Was ripped into pieces as Dawn told him more about her pain and suffering, and he was

Especially angry that her father had treated her so badly. "Oh Dawn," he said softly,

"I'm so sorry…" Dawn cried into his chest and Ash just kept his arms wrapped around her

For comfort. They sat down together under the tree where Ash had found Dawn just

Moments before she cried out to him. "Ash, my heart is torn, I'm emotionally overwhelmed

From my past, the things I can't change," she told him. "I've been lost for so long, no one to turn

To, no one to be there for me, to hold me," she cried. "I don't know if it's even possible

To heal anymore." Ash looked down at Dawn's face, watching the tears fall. He reached up

And gently wiped them away with his thumb. "Don't cry," Ash whispered. "You didn't

Deserve that, how your father treated you. You're a wonderful person who deserves so

Much better than that," he said, stroking her cheek with his other hand. "And if that had

Been me, I wouldn't have done that to you." Dawn looked up at Ash. She hadn't realized

How close they were sitting, and she looked into Ash's brown eyes, seeing his kindness

And how much he really cared about her. "And I'm here with you now, holding you,"

Ash whispered to her once more, pushing her hair out of her face. "And I'm not leaving

You," he said, slowly leaning in. Dawn gasped. "Don't be afraid," he whispered as he

Lightly brushed Dawn's lips with his own. Dawn could feel butterflies in her stomach as

Ash kissed her. She had never imagined that he would ever think of doing something like

This. Ash broke off the kiss and looked into Dawn's eyes and smiled. "I love you, Dawn,"

He said as he leaned his forehead against hers. He took both of Dawn's hands into his

And held them to his chest. "Ash, I never knew you felt this way. To be honest, I never

Dreamed that a guy would care about me this much." Dawn said, smiling. "Dawn, you're

A beautiful girl, and I've had my eyes set on you for a while now," Ash replied. "Any guy

Would be stupid not to see how special you really are. How special you are to me." He

Kissed Dawn's cheek. Dawn giggled. "Maybe this was His plan," Dawn said with a smile.

Ash had a puzzled look on his face. "Who's plan?" he asked. "God's plan," Dawn replied.

"I was broken, lonely, afraid, and I didn't know how to trust anyone. That is until tonight."

She stared into Ash's eyes. "He helped the lonely find love." Ash smiled. "Well, I'm glad that

Of all people, you're the lonely girl who was brought into my life. I wouldn't have it any

Other way. Will you promise me something?" he asked. "Okay." "Promise you'll stay

With me and never leave." "I promise." He leaned in and kissed Dawn again, this time

Dawn kissed him back. "I love you with all my heart, Dawn," Ash said. "I love you too, Ash."

They continued to sit together and watch the moon and stars shine brightly.

_Slowly fading away_

_You're lost and so afraid_

_Where is the hope_

_In a world so cold?_

_The end._

Hope you liked the story! Please review!


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